Crises of all sorts, from conflicts to natural disasters to health emergencies, are happening at unprecedented rates around the world — so much so that the United Nations convened the first World Humanitarian Summit this week.

The ability to make and receive payments electronically has emerged, in recent years, as a technology hero during natural disasters and health pandemics. At a time when more people than ever are affected by conflict and crisis, there is good news.

At the height of the Ebola crisis, Sierra Leone turned to mobile wallets to make fast, accurate, and secure payments to Response Workers. Before digitization, cash payments were slow, inaccurate, and open to graft and theft.